Formerly
a town of German settlers, Tovuz is a recent town founded in 1912. After
the Germans were expelled by Stalin the town was resettled with Caucasian
population.

The town is on the main route to Georgia,
with both the railway and the road passing through. The European Union
has been investing in the area, improving the transportation infrastructure
with the TRACECA programme. The area is rich in mining resources, including
gold.

Tovuz is famous throughout Azerbaijan as
the birthplace of the Ashug musician Hussein Bozalganli, whose house is
now a museum.

There
is a train station and bus services between Baku and Tblissi also stop
in Tovuz. There is not much to see or do: a modest new mosque, a war memorial,
a dull town hall, a stadium and a cinema.

You can stay at the Tovuz hotel,
or try your luck at the Turan Hotel, inside the stadium (the local soccer
team is F.C. Turan). A better option is the Motel Gunay, located about
10km east of Tovuz, on the main road before Qovlar.